Trousers-stretcher.



PATBNTED JUNE 4, 1907 I. B. MAGDMBER. TROUSERSSTRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17,1906.

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ISAAC B. MACOMBER, OF PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND.

TROUSERS-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

A li ti {11 5 November 17, 1906. Serial No. 343,373.

T at whmn it may concern.

Be it known that I, ISAAC B. MAOOMBER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Newport and State of RhodeIsland, have invented a new and useful Improvement inTrousers-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in trousers stretchersand more particularly to an improvement in a form of trousers stretchersadapted to be inserted into the legs of the trousers.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of a trousersstretcher whereby the legs of the trousers are more perfectly andpermanently creased than has heretofore been done.

A further object of my invention is to construct an adjustable stretcherfor different sizes of trousers, for varying the tension of thestretcher in the trousers, for different thicknesses of cloth, and forincreasing or decreasing the sharpness of the crease in the legs of thetrousers.

A still further object of my invention is to construct an adjustabletrousers stretcher that will readily adjust itself to the shape of thelegs of the trousers.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of anadjustable trousers stretcher adapted to be inserted into the legs ofthe trousers, with details of construction, as will be more fully setforth hereinafter and claimed.

Figure 1 is a face view of the trousers stretcher, showing the same inthe contracted position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional viewtaken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the stretcher in the leg of a pairof trousers, shown in broken lines. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transversesectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 through the fitting and endof a side arm. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through aside arm taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailsectional view of the operating rod taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, a a indicate the side arms, I) the U-shapedintermediate spring, 0 a V- shaped intermediate spring, cl the operatingrod, and e e auxiliary whip springs of the trousers stretcher.

Each of the side arms a a consists of a rectangular shape bar 6constructed preferably of wood, such as hickory, having a spring tensionand shaped to have the two transverse holes 7 and 8 adjacent the centerof the bar, the semicircular grooves 9 and 10 in the inner edge of thebar extending outward from the holes 7 and 8 toward the ends of the barand the reduced ends 1 1 1 1 forming the shoulders 12 12. A fitting 13,formed from sheet metal and shaped to fit the ends 11 11 of the bar andhaving the outwardly-extending ends 14 14, is secured to each end of thebar by forcing the fitting over the end 11 against the shoulder 12 and athin flexible metal creasing bar 15 is held at each end under springtension by bowing the wood bar 6 and pinning the ends of the metalcreasing bar 15 to the ends 14 14 of the fittings 13 13, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3.

The U-shaped intermediate spring I) is constructed of round wire havinga spring tension and shaped to have the L-shaped screwthreaded ends 1616 secured to the bars 6 6 in the holes 7 7 by the nuts 17 17 with thearms of the spring adjacent the L-shaped end in the grooves 9 9, asshown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The V-shaped spring (3 is constructed of round spring wire and shaped tohave the L- shaped screwthreaded ends 18 18 secured to the bars 6' 6 inthe holes 8 8 by the nuts 19 19 with the arms of the spring adjacent theL- shaped ends in the grooves 10 10, as shown in Figs. land 2.

The operating rod (1 is constructed of round wire and shaped to have thering 20 on its outer end and secured at its inner end to a cross strap21 which extends around the arms of the V-shaped spring 0, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2. A guide clip 22 reciprocally supports the rod cl on theclosed end of the spring by bending the clip around the spring to forman opening for the rod, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The auxiliary Whip springs e e are each constructed from sheet metalhaving a spring tension and shaped to have the L-shaped end 23 in whichis a notch 24 for the flexible creasing bar 15 and a hole 25 in theopposite end for securing the spring to the end 16 of the U-shapedspring I) by the nut 17 in a position for the bar 15 to enter the notch24 in the whip spring e, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The springs b and eare shaped so that the stretcher when completed is a proximately theshape of a leg of a pair of trousers, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the operation of stretching and creasing a pair of trousers twostretchers are used.

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Each stretcher is contracted into the position as shown in Fig. 1 bypushing in on the operating rod d and the stretcher inserted into theleg of the trousers through the body of the same. The stretcher is nowallowed to expand by pulling the operating rod 0 outward until the'ilegof the trousers is stretched over the thin flexible creasing bars 15under the required tension, thereby creasing the leg of the trousers.The thin flexible creasing bars 15 15 yield readily to the shape of theleg of the trousers and are supported centrally under spring tension bythe whip springs e e. The stretchers may now be used as a garmentsupporter or hanger by hanging the stretchers with the trousers up bythe rings 20 until the trousers are required for use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A trousers stretcher comprising two side arms, eachside arm consisting of a spring bar, fittings on the ends of the springbar and a thin flexible creasing bar secured by bowing the spring barand securing the ends of the creasing bar to the fittings, intermediatesprings secured to the side arms, and means for contracting the sidearms against the tension of the intermediate springs.

2. A trousers stretcher comprising two side arms, each supporting a thinflexible creasing bar under tension, intermediate con necting springssecured to the side arms, and means operatively connected with one ofthe springs adapted to contract the side arms against the tension of thesprings.

3. A trousers stretcher approximately the shape of a trousers leg andcomprising two side arms, each side arm consisting of a spring bar and athin flexible creasing bar secured to the spring bar under tension, anintermediate U-shaped spring secured to the side arms, an intermediateV-shaped spring secured to the side arms, and means operativelyconnected with the V-shaped spring adapted to contract the side armsagainst the tension of the springs.

4:. A trousers stretcher comprising two side arms, each side armconsisting of a spring bar and a thin flexible creasing bar secured tothe spring bar under tension, an interme diate U-shaped spring securedto the side arms, an intermediate V-shaped spring secured to the sidearms, a cross strap extending around the arms of the V-shaped spring, arod connected to the cross strap, and means for reciprocally supportingthe rod on the closed end of the spring, whereby on operating the rodthe stretcher is contracted or allowed to expand, as described.

5. A trousers stretcher comprising two side arms a a, each side arm aconsisting of a bar 6 constructed preferably of wood having a springtension, fittings 13 13 having the ends 14 1 1 secured to the ends ofthe bar, and a thin flexible metal creasing bar 15 secured at each endunder tension to the ends 14'14 of the fittings 13 13, intermediatesprings secured to the bars 6 6, and means for contracting'the side armsa (1 against the tension of the intermediate springs, as described.

6. In a trousers stretcher, the combination of two side arms a a, aU-shaped intermediate spring I) secured to the side arms, a V-shapedintermediate spring a secured to the side arms, an operating rod dreciprocally supported on the V-shaped spring 0 and secured to a stop 21extending around the arms of the V-shaped spring 0, and auxiliarysprings e e on the side arms, whereby on operating the rod cl thestretcher is contracted against the tension of the springs 12 and c orallowed to expand, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC B. MACOMBER.

Witnesses:

ADA E. HAGERTY, J A. MILLER.

